January 29, 2014 4:50pm ESTJanuary 29, 2014 4:50pm ESTNot every top player participates in the Senior Bowl, but the event gives many prospects a chance to showcase their skills directly in front of NFL coaches and scouts.Dee Ford(AP Photo)

Staff report

Published on Jan. 29, 2014

Jan. 29, 2014

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Not every top player participates in the Senior Bowl—Alabama’s AJ McCarron, for instance, cited injury concerns for his reason for skipping out last week—but the event gives many prospects a chance to showcase their skills directly in front of NFL coaches and scouts.

“The Senior Bowl is the first time where you really get a chance to see these guys going up against other future pros, to see how they stack up when they rise to the next level,” former NFL player and radio host Ross Tucker told Sporting News.

Tucker says Auburn pass rusher Dee Ford cemented himself as a first-round pick with his performance in practice and the game.

Tucker also said Princeton DT Caraun Reed made a name for himself at the Senior Bowl with a pair of sacks and could drafted as high as any Ivy Leaguer in quite some time.